Alaska looks at ways for residents to give to government

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Legislature already is cutting into the amount of the yearly oil-wealth fund check given to residents to help pay for state government.

Now, lawmakers are looking at other ways for residents to spend more of their check — to help pay for state government.

One proposal would set up a raffle to benefit schools, with a minimum buy-in of $100 from a resident’s Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. Twenty-five percent of entry dollars would go toward the prize fund.

So, if residents spend $400,000 of their oil checks on entry fees, half of that — or $200,000 — would go to...